1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to and has among its objects the provision of novel methods for applying herbicides to soil. Further objects of the invention will be evident from the following description wherein parts and percentages are by weight unless specified otherwise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Natural and synthetic herebicides have been employed for some time in controlling the growth of undesirable plants, especially those on crop land. Herbicides are conventionally applied in a variety of ways depending on the type of herbicide used and the nature of growth to be controlled. One method of applying herbicides for selective control of weeds involves dispersing a herbicide formulation onto the soil surface before crop seed is planted. The treated soil is tilled, generally once or twice, to mix the herbicide therein. Then, the crop seed is sown. In another application technique liquid formulations of certain herbicides are sprayed directly onto the foliage of undesired plants. Irrigation water can provide a vehicle for herbicides in yet another mode of application.
The known methods of applying herbicides are disadvantageous because they require operations that are separate from the step of sowing the crop seed. For example, when herbicides are incorporated into the soil before the crop is seeded, application and tillage steps are employed. Treating weeds directly still involves the procedure of spraying the herbicide formulation onto the foliage thereof. Considerable expenditures of time, money, and energy, therefore, occur in conventional approaches to herbicide use.